Exclusive-Spykercars readying itself for an Indian entry

It was only a couple of weeks ago that CarDekho had claimed that Dutch super sports car manufacturer – Spykercars were planning to enter into the Indian sports car market towards the end of this year. Today to confirm this news, we are bringing for you an exclusive interview of Victor Muller, CEO Spykercars who shares the company’s thoughts on India, its sports car market and their expectations.

1. Could you tell us something about Spykercars as a brand?

Spyker is bold, pure and engaging. . A Spyker is beyond rare and is held to such high standards by its crafters. This year we are experiencing the resurgence of the Spyker brand on a global level. Spyker has set a tone and has proven throughout its entire history “Nulla Tenaci in via est via” meaning, for the tenacious no road is impassable. Bold and tenacious leadership at Spyker followed the notion of not readily letting go and never giving up on this brand. With Spyker, “no road is impassable.” Since the brand’s rebirth in 2000, the leadership has taken a bold approach to making Spyker a viable and no compromise brand in this high-end luxury sports car market with a laser sharp focus on the High Luxury Sports Segment.

2. News reports suggest that Spykercars is planning to enter the Indian market. Could you throw some light on this topic?

We are planning to launch the Spyker brand in India in the second half of this year.

3. For the moment what is Spyker Cars perspective on the Indian car market?

We certainly see the Republic of India as an important market, where the heritage of the Spyker brand and the bespoke design of our product will be appreciated by the growing number of luxury car buyers. For a number of years we have studied the Indian car market, and short-listed potential dealer candidates. We have great expectations of the Indian market. The Spyker SWB models (C8 Spyder, C8 Laviolette) were equipped with a manual gearbox and due to the compact chassis could not be offered with an automatic gearbox option. We have waited with our distribution in India because a) we have been very selective in the process of identifying potential business partners and b) we wanted to launch the brand with the new product that suits the Indian market better: C8 Aileron with automatic gearbox, followed by the B6 Venator next year.

4. Since the company would be coming to India, what is the kind of arrangement that is being considered. Would it be a sole company outlet or through an appointed distributor?

We have appointed a group for the retail representation of Spyker in India. They will start business in New Delhi at the end of this year. We will not announce their name yet; that announcement will come soon.

5. What are your plans for after sales services, since they are an integral part of the cost of ownership as well as experiencing the brand?

After sales is very important to customer satisfaction and it will be supported by the dealer (s) that we appoint as well as from the factory. We take a very hand on approach to ensuring our customer’s needs are met.

6. Which models is the company planning to get to India?

A first launch vehicle for India (C8 Aileron) has been specified and will be put into build in Q4 of this year. When B6 Senator goes into production, this model will also become available to the Indian market as well.

7. How strong is the financial capability of Spyker and going by the trend of increasing success that sports cars have gathered in the developing countries, which markets is Spyker considering to enter, apart from India, in the next 5 years?

The USA, UK, Middle East and Mainland Europe are still the key markets, but markets like China have emerged to become important to us and we certainly look forward to being in India!

8. What are your Motorsport plans, and what's the kind of investment you are planning to invest in this division?

Racing will always stand as a passion point for our brand. Participation in endurance motorsport remains the focus of Spyker Squadron and the Spyker Cars operation. Other series and formula are not currently part of our plans, but we never say ‘never’. We will see where the future takes us, but for today we are focusing on the SPYKER B6 VENATOR CONCEPT and bringing this new Spyker to market.

9. Of course, you'll battle against the likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche and Audi as these brands are already available through official channels in India. What's going to be your brand and marketing strategy to gain the intended footprint in India, and what sort of sales numbers do you estimate from this market?

We do not see Spyker as a competitor to these other brands; it’s a conscious alternative choice. It is a choice for someone who has already owned the likes of Porsche, Aston Martin and others. They are in search of something truly distinctive, unique and exclusive that offers the highest levels of distinctive design, attention to detail, performance and reliability, and something bolder.